GALAXY

GALAXY has the ambition, by combining unique capabilities in European institutions, to perform integrated systems modelling of multi-omics data together with clinical data. To improve understanding of alcoholic liver fibrosis, and to develop diagnostic, prevention and treatment programs.

CONCEPT AND APPROACH

1. The hypothesis of GALAXY is that specific gut microbiome characteristics and associated host gene expression and metabolic changes in alcohol overusing individuals are key determinants for the development and progression of alcoholic liver fibrosis.

2. These key determinants can be used to develop novel biomarkers to detect alcoholic liver fibrosis before advancing into cirrhosis and stratify patients for risk of disease progression.

3. Understanding disease complexity will, in addition to early detection, also be used to develop new treatments to halt liver fibrosis by altering the microbiome.

4. We propose that alcoholic liver fibrosis through a systems medicine approach of well-phenotyped cohorts can be better understood, detected at an earlier stage and disease progression stopped.

The GALAXY project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme - Grant Number: 668031